Voices
by RandomButLoved
Summary: We all know that the Hero often gets nightmares before finding out his destiny - maybe hears voices too. But what would happen if those voices were too much? The goddesses may not always be able to protect the Hero . . . or maybe they can. Rated T for violence, injures and character death. Modern Hyrule. LinkxZelda.


**So, I've been writing this one for a while and I just can't wait to post it! This is just about Link's reaction to hearing voices and how they can drive even the strongest people to madness and harm. This hasn't been easy writing because of things that happen in it so I must warn you now that you may cry ~ I've found that out from making you all cry in "Skyward Sword Fanfiction" :)**

**Still, I don't own the rights to The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does.**

**Anyway, please sit back and enjoy! This is set in a modern Hyrule and Sheik is male in this one :D**

Voices

It was all too late for the boy to be up. A smile creased his face as he imagined what his parents would say to his consistent "night-wanders".

How many times had he done that now? Ten? Thirty? Fifty? Maybe even more? He had quickly lost count after the first million and one times. He didn't mind, although. He would go to the most dangerous place on the earth just to clear his head of nightmares.

Voices called out to him day and night. His friends kept asking what was wrong whenever he felt out of it (which was a lot) – but he never told any of them, not even his closest of friends. They wouldn't be helpful in getting those voices away from him.

Still, it wasn't just voices to him.

The voices sounded serious, although, as if the fate of his world hanged in the balance – and only he could help it. Though no matter what his friends said or what those voices were trying to make him do, he never thought that he was all that courageous to do things like save the world. He couldn't hold himself together when nightmares plagued his mind. He never challenged people to see who was stronger. And he never thought that he was all that strong (again, his friends would easily go against that).

To be honest, he never really felt right walking around the town at three am almost every day just to go through his crazy thoughts. Maybe he was just crazy. . .

Nevertheless, his thoughts were cut short abruptly when he noticed the night sky growing lighter. Morning. Maybe it wasn't three am after all. . .

He pulled up the hood of his favourite green hoodie over his head and hastily made his way back to the house that he shared with his mates.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

He managed not to wake anybody when he closed the door as he returned from his night-wander. He unceremoniously dumped his hoodie on the sofa and made his way to his room, hoping not to wake his sleepyhead friends. He wouldn't lie, he had a few hundred too many lie-ins but they soon went when the nightmares came.

He sat on the window ledge, allowing his tired form to slump against the window, and watched the sun beginning to rise – until a knock sounded at his door.

He closed his eyes and let his head fall onto the window, trying to pretend that he was asleep. It worked for a few minutes . . . until his friend realized that he was actually still awake.

The door clicked open and his friend stepped inside. The two friends looked rather alike – same height, same dirty-blonde hair, same likes and dislikes – yet they had one physical difference. The supposed asleep one has deep blue eyes while his friend had violet eyes.

"Link, I know that you're awake. Don't try and hide it." The violet-eyed boy said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

The other boy, Link, slowly opened his eyes after hearing his friend's voice. "I wonder why I try, Sheik." He replied, looking at the window once again.

Sheik crossed over to his friend, a little worried for his friend. He looked absolutely terrible even if you glanced at him. "I take it that you went for your night-wanders again," Link nodded about word. "You should really tell me why you keep doing that."

Sheik joined his friend on the window ledge. "Why do you keep going out like this?" He had wondered aloud. "You never know what's out there. You keep saying that you're taking some time off but I know that it's more than that," He paused. "I know that you have nightmares. I hear you shout but I'm too worried to ask what's wrong."

His friend didn't reply for a few moments. Still, when he did, Sheik wasn't expecting what he was going to say.

"I keep revisiting that night in my sleep. The night that I lost them," He stopped for a few moments, letting his words sink in. "And when you ask what's wrong when I keep quiet, I keep hearing these voices saying that they need my help."

Sheik thought that his friend's nightmares were over. He lost his parents and little sister in a flood that struck the town around six years before. However, the worst thing was, he had to watch them drown.

He didn't know how to react to the voices. Link had his quiet moments where he wouldn't be able to concentrate or hear his friends at all – though he never thought that it would be due to things like that.

They sat there is silence for a while, each of them thinking of something comforting to say. Still, after a while, one of them broke the silence – it was Link.

"I shouldn't be telling you all of this. I should have just kept quiet." He suddenly rose and went for the door. He grasped the handle and looked over his shoulder before leaving. "Don't tell anyone," He paused. "I-I won't be long."

And with that, he quickly left the room, leaving his friend to think over his words.

* * *

Link never spoke for the rest of that day. He finally managed to get some sleep – even if it wasn't for very long.

The next couple of days went the same. He stayed silent as much as he could, he mainly kept to himself, he got minimal hours sleep, and he went out at night for as long as possible.

And it worked for a while. He wasn't too bad for a few days. . .

. . . until his friend got a call from another friend when he hadn't returned that morning from his night-wander.

Sheik's phone rang and he nervously picked it up. He didn't get time to say hello. "Sheik, have you heard what happened?!" Zelda, both his and Link's friend almost shrieked down the phone. He could easily hear her crying.

"Zelda, what happened? Are you okay? Where are you?" He asked, clearly worried about her.

She began crying twice as much. "T-the hospital. . ."

He didn't even give a reply before he put the phone down and got to the hospital.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

He found Zelda almost straight away. She was sitting outside one of the rooms crying her eyes out. People were trying to comfort her but it didn't help. Still, when she saw him, she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Shush, Zelda, calm down. What's going on? You don't have to rush, just tell me in your own time." She had always liked his kindness – a lot of her friends had it – and she needed it during that time.

"L-last night, I-I got a call from Link. But when I picked it up, i-it wasn't him . . . i-it was. . ." She burst out again. He slowly took her outside for some air and sat her down on a nearby bench.

He calmed her down and even though he didn't want to, he tried to get her to continue. "Do you know who it was on the phone?" She shook her head. "Okay, so what happened after?"

She took a deep breath and slowly continued. "T-they told me to meet them in the street but I said no. They said something about motivation and passed the phone onto someone else." She started shaking and Sheik began connecting the events together.

He stroked her arm. "It's okay, take your time. Just start with who it was and work from there." He was trying to sound comforting to her yet he was scared himself. He could tell where this was going and it chilled him right down to the bone to think about what she was about to say.

"I-It was Link!" She dived onto him again. She cried but carried on speaking. "He sounded so hurt and scared but he kept saying not to go out and to stay where I was when he stopped speaking so suddenly and the person who called me said something about shutting him up!"

Sheik would never lie that he didn't start shaking himself at the words. Still, Zelda continued.

"They said about meeting them and I did without waking Karane or Midna. I couldn't leave Link alone when he sounded like that!" She was speaking all too quick but he thankfully managed to hear her story.

"They weren't too far away from my house. I was so scared when I heard their voice again. I asked who they were and they said for me to call them Zant. I never got to see their face before they ran off." Her eyes go glassy. "And then I saw Link. He was. . ."

She cried again and Sheik didn't blame her. Whatever she was about to say obviously wasn't going to be good. "I-I called the ambulance and they took him here. He hasn't been awake ever since they . . . you know what happened." He tightly hugged the distressed girl. "Why was he out there?" He froze, remembering what he had said to his friend only days before.

"_You never know what's out there. You keep saying that you're taking some time off but I know that it's more than that,"_

Those nightmares and voices almost cost him his life. . .

He slowly released himself from her. "Can we see him?" She nodded slowly and they slowly made their way back into the hospital.

* * *

Pain was the only thing that Link felt when he awoke. Pain in his head, pain in his legs, pain in his chest, pain everywhere. Nowhere was safe from it. He wanted to open his eyes but they felt like they were glued shut. He soon found out that it was a good idea that they were closed so he could hear someone off to his left.

"—isn't your fault but I told you to stay away from there. I know that it cleared your head for a while yet look at you now." They paused. "You have to tell people about this."

He soon realized who it was at their side, although he didn't know why they were saying those things or where he was.

"Sheik. . ." He managed to croak out. His eyes gently opened, revealing his pale friend and a very white room.

His face brightened straight away – however, he didn't say anything to his beaten friend. Sheik got up and went to the door. His confused friend watched as Sheik opened the door, poked his head out and called, "Zelda, someone's just woken up."

Sheik returned to the room and opened the door more as Zelda cautiously moved inside. Link gave her a weak smile when she saw that he was awake, causing her to stop mid-walk.

Then, without literally any warning, she took off towards him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Ow. . ." He muttered, not that he cared. He mentally kicked himself for putting her through whatever she was put through.

Sheik joined them and touched Zelda's arm. "I told you that he's only just woken. I wouldn't—" He stopped for a moment, realizing something that Link didn't know. "What am I saying? Group hug!"

And he dived on too.

Wow . . . and they were doing that to their injured friend _because_. . .?

Link didn't care about the pain he was being put through. He would rather almost die then not have his friends with him.

"Um, Link. . ." Sheik began, pushing himself away. "Do you know . . . what happened?" Link thought to himself, trying to figure what happened.

He went out to get some air when some person appeared, their face covered, asking why he was out at such an hour. He nervously told the person that he was simply clearing his head when the person said something that he wouldn't forget:

"_You don't know what sort of people you'll meet when you're out at this hour. Or who will hear you scream for help."_

He scrunched his eyes closed as the memories faded into darkness and a high-pitched bleeping sound off to his right became faster and faster.

He felt those around him being pulled away and voices shouting his name to draw him back into reality. The only thing was that he couldn't get back there – those words swirled around his head uncontrollably and something jabbed into his arm.

His world faded to darkness as one last sentence forced him into unconsciousness.

"_Maybe this'll teach you never to go out at this hour again."_

* * *

It was a long time before Sheik and Zelda were allowed back in. They both were upset as they were pulled out of the room. Neither of them could stand to see their friend like that.

Sheik blamed it on himself, of course. It was him who asked his friend about what he remembered which caused him to have that panic attack.

Zelda did try and comfort him though he was just as stubborn as Link. If he blamed himself for something, especially as bad as this, he would blame himself for the rest of his life.

Once they were allowed back in, they sat in silence at either of his sides. They wouldn't leave him if they could – not after what he had done for them.

Still, it didn't take too long for him to wake again.

Both Sheik and Zelda gasped when he woke. He faded in and out of conscious, which made their hearts stop, a few times but after a few times – he finally stayed awake.

"I'm so sorry for asking you about what happened." Sheik apologized. Zelda tried to stop him but he continued. "I shouldn't have asked you when you weren't ready."

Link smiled. "It's fine, Sheik. Don't beat yourself up about—" He suddenly realized what he had said. "Don't . . . worry about it. I had to try and remember soon."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Zelda spoke.

"How are you feeling?" She had asked. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

He sighed. "You could stop blaming this on yourself for a start." They smiled at little. "But seriously, I'm fine. I don't know much of what happened but I'm fine, okay?"

He looked away, and then looked at Zelda. "Zelda . . . what did happen . . . when they phoned you?" Her eyes went slightly warm – however, she still replied.

"I-I went down there because I couldn't just leave you but they ran off before they could explain. A-and then I-I saw you and I took you here." She had summarized it much better than before. Well, the boy that she found was awake now so it was probably due to that reason.

Then she repeated the question from earlier that sent shivers up both of the boy's spines. "Why were you out there in the first place?"

The boys looked at each other, remembering their conversation from a few days before the incident. "I keep having nightmares about that night and . . . it sounds crazy but I hear these people calling out to me." Link explained, struggling to keep eye-contact.

"We'll be here for you, Link. We can help you." She answered softly, making him smile.

They didn't chat for much longer. The two saw how tired their injured friend was so they told, more like forced, him to get some rest.

Sheik and Zelda stayed that night and fell asleep just off from Link's side. The doctors didn't do anything, not after what they had all been through that day.

* * *

"It's late and he's probably asleep so I don't want you in there for long, Mr. . ." The receptionist paused. "I'm sorry, can I please ask of your name?"

The figure looked up at her, revealing a young, pale-faced, boy. She could not identify them further due to the dark hood over most of their face.

"Zant," He had replied. "Zant Twili." He quickly left before the receptionist could say any more to the boy.

He silently ran down the corridors to the room where he was supposed to be. He couldn't believe that those people thought that he was there to pay his respects – he was there to finish a job.

His boss, Ganondorf, had specially ordered him to get rid of this boy. He was apparently going to be a "nuisance that needs to be disposed of" – still, thanks to his friend, he managed to survive his first attack.

But he wasn't going to be ready for round two.

Clicking the door close behind him, he took a look around the room. Off to the left were two kids sitting asleep together – trying to somehow comfort each other in a way that Zant would never understand.

And of course, in the centre of the room was the boy that he had to dispose of for his boss – Link Hero. He couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as he stepped towards the bed and pulled out a small syringe of a clear, bubbling liquid.

"Goodnight, Hero. Sweet nightmares." He whispered to the sleeping young-adult, taking one of the main tubes into his pale hand and jamming the syringe deep into the stream of liquids, pushing down the plunger and sending the perfect amount of untraceable clear liquid into the stream – causing laughs to escape the murders lips as. . .

"No. . ."

. . . as the boy began to awaken from the change of liquids.

_Run!_ Zant commanded himself mentally, shoving the lethal weapon into his jacket pocket and dashing out of the room – into the shadows of the night as the heart-monitor began bleeping incredibly loudly – waking up the two kids in the room.

_Goodnight, Hero. Goodnight._

* * *

Zelda woke up with a start at the sound of the heart-monitor wailing. Sheik was awake straight away so they quickly rushed over to Link's side. His face was too pale to be healthy and he looked like he was . . . dying.

"Link! Link! Come on, stay with us!" He almost shouted at the boy.

"Stay with us, please! Things were starting to lift up with us too! We've only just gotten together!" Zelda added, her eyes filling with tears.

They watched as Link raised his hands and clasped them both in their own, tears falling from all three of them. "Those voices were too much this time. . ." He mumbled, clearly showing how weak he was.

He looked towards his friend. "Sheik, can you give this to Zel, please? You know what it means." He handed his friend a small wrapped box.

"I will, man. I promise." His friend swore.

Link smiled and turned to the girl next to him. "Zel," She nodded, squeezing both of his hands. "You know how much I love you, don't you?"

"Of course I do. And I love you so much too, you know that too, don't you?" He nodded and changed to subject to a darker note.

"I couldn't sleep tonight and I saw him again – the one who did this to me." Her lips parted in shock. "He did this now as well. Used a syringe of poison and put it into the tubes – remember that if you find him."

Both Sheik and Zelda looked at each other, then at their dying friend. "We will." They said together.

"You are the best friends and girlfriend that I have ever had." He complimented, his vision growing brighter.

"You calling me a girl?" Sheik joked, getting light laughs from the other two.

"Duh." He replies with a smirk, barely making out their faces. Zelda leaned and and kissed him full on the lips.

"I love you."

"And I love you too – and Sheik as a friend, of course." He couldn't even make out their smiles as he managed to mumble one more thing before his vision turned completely white.

"Thank-you . . . for caring about me."

Then all you could hear in the room was the horrific sound of one-toned beep that signaled the end of another innocent life.

Doctors an nurses rushed in though they were all too late to try and save him. The two traumatized friends were gently taken out of the room, neither of them trying to fight as they noticed a small speck of shining gold sparkling in the hospital light as the door was closed behind them and the news hit them.

They burst out crying and sank to the floor when the news sunk in.

Their best friend, the love of their life for one of them – was dead. The shy boy who always kept quiet though came out later to be the best person anyone could know – was dead.

Link Hero was dead.

* * *

**BREAKING NEWS**

_"In the early hours of yesterday morning – Link Hero, who was targeted, beaten in the streets of Castle Town Estates and sent to Termina Hospital, has died at the age of 19. The almost 20 year-old was said to have been "clearing his head" when walking the streets between 2 and 6am four days ago when he was attacked. Doctors later revealed that the boy was schizophrenic as he was roaming the dangerous streets because of voices in his head. He died yesterday at 2:10am for unknown reasons."_ An image of Link appeared on the screen, sending chills around the bodies of their two friends.

"He was not schizophrenic." They both said at the same time.

_"Friends are devastated by the news and have described the adult as a "wonderfully kind yet shy boy who was full of life even after the loss of his family" yet have claimed that the death was murder. An inquiry has been launched though there is no news on what has been found through interviews with those claiming of murder but we have been promised more news when the police find out more leads in this inquiry."_ Something then happened and the screen went dark. When the same image as before returned, the female reporter's eyes looked slightly different when said something very strange – they looked brighter than any blue they had ever seen.

_"But you have saved him."_

"What?" Sheik and Zelda dropped the remote onto the sofa in Zelda's apartment, rising without another word. What did she mean? What was wrong with her?

_"Zelda Nohansen and Sheik Shadow, because of the item given to you by Link Hero along with the mark you saw on the back of his hand __– Farore, Din and I have managed to preserve his life so he and you two can fulfill the destiny set by us."_ The reporter told them before she shook her head and her eyes became normal once again.

_"In other news, the royal baby has been named. The Prince of Cambridge has been named as—"_ Sheik grabbed the remote back off the sofa and turned the TV off, expecting something along the lines of "But I wanted to know his name!" from Zelda though she stayed silent – apparently not hearing of the news.

They both sat there for a moment before one spoke – it was Sheik._  
_

"Wow, I must really be hearing things. Did you hear all of that destiny stuff too Zel?" He glanced over to her when she didn't answer. She just kept looking at the dark screen. "Zel? Are you okay?"

That time, she did answer. "What did he give you on that night? You apparently know what it means." She turned to him with a sad yet determined look in her eyes. Sheik slowly and carefully pulled out the small wrapped box and handed it to her. She eyed it closely before beginning to unfold the paper surrounding the box.

Once she was able to open the box, she gasped at what she saw inside. Inside was the most beautiful ring ever. The golden ring was of Zora's Sapphire – the Spiritual Stone of Zelda's favorite goddess, Nayru. She stared in amazement as the blue sapphires glowed in the lamp-light.

"He was going to wait until he was twenty-one to give it to you but he couldn't wait. On the day that he was beaten, he was going to give it to you and propose." Her mouth gaped open at the incredibly beautiful ring as she gradually took the ring from it's spot and slipped it onto her left ring finger.

"I do." She mumbled quietly, getting a sad smile from her friend. Though their time was cut short short when a knock came at the door. Sheik, knowing that Zelda would want a few minutes alone, went to the door and grabbed the handle – opening it to see—_  
_

"Link?!" He felt Zelda look up at his sudden outburst. Sure, it was him. He looked like he usually did – wearing his favorite green hoodie. Sheik's mouth fell open in shock at the fact that his best friend was standing there and the woman on the News was right – he was alive.

"I. . ." He began when he suddenly lost consciousness before them.

"Link!" He rushed forward and grabbed his friend, taking him into the apartment without another thought. Zelda rushed over to the two, helping her friend lift her love onto the sofa they were just sitting on.

As soon as Link landed on the sofa, his eyes blinked open to see his shocked yet completely relieved friends. "Hi. . ." He croaked out, not really understanding what was going on. "What is going—Ah!" His friends suddenly jumped onto him, drawing him into a sitting position as they both cried tears of joy. "It seems like I have some explaining to do, huh?" He muttered, hugging them both back with a large smirk.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, the goddesses made it look like you were dead when you weren't." Sheik asked after about an hour of explaining and repeating that same explanation. It was all too much, really.

Link nodded in agreement. "Yep, they replaced Zant's poison with regular morphine. They made it out that I was dead when I wasn't."

Zelda twiddled with her ring for a few moments before wondering without looking up, "Did you know that it was going to happen? Did you know that you were going to die?"

Link placed his hand on her arm, making her look deep into his eyes. "If I did then I would've told you. I honestly thought that I was dying – that's why I gave Sheik the ring." She smiled and nodded.

"I agree to the proposal. I have always wanted to." She hugged him tightly, forcing tears back this time.

"I'm so happy." Is all that Link could reply with.

Sheik coughed loudly, causing the two happy lovers release themselves and turn to their friend.

"So, what's all this about a destiny, then? I'm sure that you'll know now." He said, aiming his words towards Link. They all turned to his friend who smiled happily.

"This is going to take a while – it's a _long_ story." He said.

And with those last words, another destiny began. . .

* * *

**So, did you guys like that? I sure did! I started writing it up to the bit with Zant killing Link but I stopped after a while and finished tonight! I really hope that you liked it!**

**Please rate and review! You know what it means to me!**

**~RandomButLoved~**


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